COLUMBUS, Ohio — As Ohioans get ready to head to the polls on Tuesday for the Primary Election, Secretary of State Frank LaRose has announced the number of early votes that have been cast.
According to a release sent out on Monday evening, 301,837 absentee ballots have been requested by-mail or in-person, with 263,542 votes having been cast statewide. LaRose says those early voting numbers surpass 2018’s total of 300,765 absentee ballots requested through the end of the early voting period and 260,443 total early votes cast. He also added in a tweet that 2022's early voting numbers topped those from both 2018 and 2014's primary elections. (2014 and 2018 being considered comparable midterm primary elections)
“Republican voters have been casting their early votes at a far faster rate than four years ago, while Democrats have been significantly behind that pace,” said LaRose in a statement. “With that shift in favor of Republicans, overall early voting in this primary election has now surpassed the most comparable primary election in 2018. Political prognosticators are welcome to theorize its significance, but it’s clear Ohio voters have faith in our secure, accurate, and accessible election system.”
158,813 Republican voters in Ohio have requested ballots, with 141,313 having been returned and submitted for counting. By contrast, 138,066 Democratic voters requested ballots, with 118,096 having been returned and submitted for counting. Nearly 80,000 GOP voters in the state cast an early in-person vote, with 56,415 Democrats doing the same.
Here is a closer look at the data as of the end of early voting on May 2, 2022:
At the same point in the 2018 primary election, 153,844 Democrats had requested an absentee ballot while 128,709 Republicans had made the same request.
LaRose is also reminding Ohioans that requested an absentee ballot but have not returned it that those ballots must have been postmarked by Monday, May 2. Otherwise, they must be dropped off at your county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Ohio voters will find the following races on their primary ballot:
- Governor
- Attorney General
- Auditor of State
- Secretary of State
- Treasurer of State
- Ohio Supreme Court
- U.S. Senate
- U.S. Representative to Congress
- Additional Judicial and municipal candidates
The offices of State Senator, State Representative, and Member of State Central Committee will not appear on the May 3rd Primary Election ballot due to ongoing legal disputes.
More Primary Election coverage:
- Republican candidates look to surrogates for final boost in Ohio Senate race
- U.S. Senate race in Ohio: Who are the candidates running and what else you need to know before May 3 primary
- Ohio gubernatorial election: Here's what you need to know about the candidates and voting ahead of the May 3 primary